Winter Cheerleading - Sexual Discrimination??

Interesting Topic....

The Cheer Coaches have decided it's "discrimination" to only cheer for BOYS Varsity basketball, and have recently added the Girls Varsity to the schedule for the REMAINDER of the season as well. Maddie had cheer from 4:30-8:45 this afternoon/evening...Any thoughts on the subject? Seems absurd to change a tradition for the sake of "feel-good-consideration". I'm sure the basketball team girls were really hoping to have a cheer team affiliated, no?

Any feedback is welcome.....

CoNgRaTuLaTiOnS MaDeLyN!!!!

An interesting piece of news from Palmatier Park:

Maddie was offered a position on the Competition Team for the BayState Competition!! The Needham High School Rockets cheerleading team will compete on February 23rd, 2009 - I believe in Braintree. Maddie was not originally placed on the Comp Team, but rather Game Squad. Since there have been a few injuries to girls who can not perform, Maddie was selected to move up. GO ROCKETS!!!!

A Rockin Little Snowman.....

Kathryn built a fabulous, 2.5 foot tall snowman in the front yard this weekend. He's great for several reasons, but first and foremost is that he has a Head.

Often, my children begin things, like a snowman for example, and - shall we say - "drift" off task, and before you know it there's an incomplete snowball-on-top-of-a-snowball in the yard without a head, accessories or anything. Those wonderful SnowThings grace our yard then for weeks, announcing to the entire town that we are collectively incapable of *completing* even the simplest of tasks. Not painstaking chores, mind you. Just a Snowman.

I knew Kathryn would be the one to take'er all-the-way. I think the greatest part of making a snowman is that you go into it knowing it won't last. Expectations are half the battle to avoiding disappointment, isn't it? (Click image to enlarge)
(What good is a snowman if he isn't portable?)

'Winter' is the blurry, long journey between football and baseball....

While the first reaction is that football season is just barely behind us (an unbelievable 2 months, nearly), the first notices of baseball team-rostering and placement have been handed out, and found the newest Palmatier Players gearing up and ready to go.

Bryan was apparently, as I heard in CVS recently, an "early pick" in the draft, as well as "playing up" in the majors...a pleasant surprise, since we accidentally missed the try-outs the first time due to football...(Not Bryan's Game of course, but a Home Game Day for Mom - Ooops, an occupational hazard of Mom's).

Weeks later, Chris took him to the make-up try-out in Watertown, and they came home saying it had gone "fine", but really not any better than that. Batting had been tough and I figured he was just in Football Mode, and since he's so laid back about this stuff, I didn't give it another thought. So, we look forward to spending a year as a Cardinals family, among others...Should be fun...the best part is that it's ALWAYS fun. "Fun" like running a foot race while dragging a 600 lb legless elephant in a wheelbarrow, but as long as there's talk of baseball in spring, football in August and warmer days are coming, then I'll keep trudging through the icy-rain and count the days...

ONE.......TWO....

In the wake of the holiday..........a crazy, quiet calm.....

It wasn't the most joyous, easiest, most elegant, streamlined, Christmas we've ever had, but the food was as fabulous as it has ever been and the company couldn't have been better.

It was fabulous, and despite Dad being admitted via ER on Christmas night,
we had a holiday full of everything important!!

It's a Christmas Miracle!!!!!

Everyone got along for nearly an hour!!! Well, there was a little hair-pulling, head-flicking, elbow jabs, rabbit-ears and minor pinching, but once Chris and I got out of the frame the kids did great! j/k...Here's the first shot. More to come after I get the CD from Diane later today! I can't wait...

Grim Reaper.....with a suitcase...

Like a recurring bad dream, the discussion rolls on as to whether or not THIS house will be demolished as well. It does seem as if I am the Grim Reaper of homes, doesn't it?

A girl could develop a complex...

You could almost mistake the image for me if it wasn't for the neckline of that shroud!!

A Change of Plan...

So, Dad has become sick since September, and some of you have been looking for the blog, and found your way here...

The link is http://muckerheide.blogspot.com and is also listed below, from shortly after original diagnosis. Thanks for checking in!!

There's no *I* in TEAM.....

Hungry for it.....Go Bryan!!! #24 (Watch it again!)

ABOVE: Touchdown!!

BELOW: Pass, Diving Extra Point!!

Multiple Myeloma - Close to Home

http://muckerheide.blogspot.com/
This is the latest...

40 Beautiful Yards, Baby.....

During my journey to Washington, DC for the funeral this weekend, Joey had a game against Weymouth. Little Prince Charming, The Animal, ran the ball 40 yards in the first play of the game!!!! While it figures I missed it, Dad was there to see it for himself, which makes me feel better about not being there. However, there is enormous irony in me being the dingdong carting him to practice, keeping his practice and game stuff ready-for-trouble, and missing his first enormous drive up the field with the ball.

It doesn't matter...there are so many more plays to come, and I am lucky enough to be able to "be around" as often as I am....Just Please, God, grant me a billion more opportunities to see everything they are capable of. That's all I really Need.

Way To Go, Joe...Both boys are playing so well, fluidly & versatile positions. This is going to be a hell of a season, baby. Did I mention I LOVE my job??? There are no "days off", but the pay couldn't be better.

Sad Day...

On Monday, September 8th, Jim Slattery passed away. The world will never be the same without Jim in it, especially for his wife and children. The ultimate prankster, teaser, and crazy-wit and humor kind of guy, he will be missed...terribly, for many, many years to come.

R.I.P, BigJimmy, until you brighten our days on the other side, once again.

So, we've moved.....AGAIN!

The Palmatier Clan glided from Dedham Ave to Nehoiden Street with a weeks notice, and into a doubly-huge home! We had houseguest-teenagers for the entire balance of the summer, but overall it was a good experience, and everyone came out the other end, unscathed.

While the move into the new house seemed like (or WAS) the best move we ever made, the property is potentially going to be developed in the very near future, making another move quite possible!

Football has begun. Cheer has also started. School is in full force, and Chris' travel, which has been minimal over the 2008 summer, is going to take over again for a while...I guess we're making sure we can do-it-all, and do it well. Game On!!!! Bring it.

AAA TOWN CHAMPS!!!

Did I fail to mention that on Saturday (ie, moving day) June 14th The Needham METS won the town championship in a spectacular late-in-the-game comeback??

They won 6-4...it was AWESOME. Now they march in the parade on the 4th. REALLY cool experience all around. Oh yea, and Summer baseball has begun already! It ends a few days before football starts. Slippery slope.

Lucky Number SIX??

What was I saying?? Right, about the lucky number six....

Since that last post, we've celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary in the Bahamas, been notified that our home was nearing it's demolition date, moved somewhat suddenly but into a bigger and better home...however, we have also acquired 2 additional children for some period of time.

Like I said! Six must be a lucky number......lucky, lucky, lucky. Thank GOD we moved when we did so that we could have a DSS/Court appointed Home Inspection in it - even if that did happen before the furniture was in it!!!

Never Dull....

(Wait, did I mention that I rear ended a nun and priest leaving one of the court dates the day before I was given custody of the kids??? Must have slipped my addled mind. The nun - Sister Mary - is taking me to lunch on Tuesday because she felt so bad for me hitting her. Am I that transparent?? )